LOTTE manager Kim Tae-hyung points to the bullpen as the team’s biggest problem. The batting lineup is much better than it was at the beginning of the season, but the bullpen is still a concern. Choi Joon-yong, who was touted as a must-have player before the season, has struggled, and the path to the closer, Kim Won-joong, hasn’t been easy throughout the season.
However, one player who has earned the trust of the coaching staff by excelling in the Lotte bullpen is high school rookie right-hander Jeon Mir (19). A first-round (No. 3 overall) pick of Lotte in the 2024 rookie draft out of Gyeongbuk High School, Jeon made a strong impression from the start of camp. He earned the fans’ applause early in the season when the Lotte bullpen was in disarray. At one point, he was the best pitcher in the bullpen.
Needless to say, it wasn’t a must-win from the start. He started out with no pressure. But with a combination of fastballs and curveballs over 150 kilometers per hour, he started his promotion by not allowing a single run in his first seven games of the season. On April 2 against Hanwha, he picked up his first win in his debut, and on April 10 against Samsung Electronics, he recorded his first hold. By April 18, his ERA in 12 games was just 0.77. He was a reliable man in the Lotte bullpen.
However, as he pitched more and more, his pitches gradually deteriorated. His velocity dropped, his arm height dropped, and his tracking record began to show signs of fatigue. His release point, which had been averaging over 180 centimeters until early April, began to drop by 4 to 5 centimeters in mid-May. The restraint also decreased by 2-3 kilometers. It was a typical sign of fatigue. The Lotte bench managed to adjust the pitching intervals in their own way, but it was not easy to give him a full rest in the bullpen situation.
Eventually, he began to fall apart, posting a 14.40 ERA and a .381 batting average in seven games in June. Deciding that Jeon needed a break, Lotte eventually removed him from the first-team roster on July 17 and looked to the future. Jeon threw 33⅔ innings in 36 games this season, which is a lot for a rookie to manage. He finished the season with a 1-5 record, one save, five holds, and a 5.88 ERA, and was sent to the second team. With Lotte’s bullpen still underdeveloped, the question of who will fill Jeon’s shoes has become an interesting one.
In addition to Lotte, which dropped Jeon Mir, several other clubs made roster adjustments on Sunday to prepare for this week’s schedule. SSG dropped veteran starter Park Jong-hoon (33) from the first team roster again. Park, whose resurgence was highly anticipated heading into the season, has struggled to find his groove and has bounced back and forth between the first and second teams this year. In nine games this season, he pitched 30⅓ innings, but went 1-4 with a 7.71 ERA.
His pitches were often overpowering, and hitters were able to take advantage of his aggressive approach to the strike zone. His pitches were not perfect, nor was his location. The SSG bench tried to utilize Park Jong-hoon in any way they could. If he struggled in the first team, they would send him to the second team to give him time to readjust, and if he gave a good report from the second team, they would put him back in the first team to give him a chance to start. However, Park Jong-hoon 안전놀이터 was not consistent. He got another chance on June 16 against Hanwha in Daejeon as a targeted pitcher, but again, he struggled, giving up three runs in 2⅔ innings, including two wild pitches with the bases loaded in the bottom of the third inning, and was pulled early.
SSG plans to utilize Song Young-jin in the first team starting rotation for now. Park Jong-hoon will be moved back down to the second team to make adjustments. With five starters – Kim Kwang-hyun, Sean Anderson, Keisho Shirakawa, Oh Won-seok, and Song Young-jin – it’s likely that SSG will rotate through the first half of the season. The prolonged absence of Park Jong-hoon, who must rebound and bounce back, has left SSG with a season-long problem.
LG also had to recall hard-throwing sidearm Woo Kang-hoon (22) from the first team roster. Woo, who wore an LG uniform this season after being traded from Lotte, has been bouncing back and forth between the first and second teams since the move, experimenting with the first team coaching staff. On June 5, he was reinstated to the first team, but was released on the same day and is now back in the second team. In 13 games this season, Woo has pitched 10⅔ innings with a 1-0 record and a 3.38 ERA. However, his batting average (.275) and walks per inning pitched (WHIP-1.78) are a bit high.
The NC demoted outfielder Seok-hyun Han (30) to the second team. Han, who joined the NC last year, was promoted to the first team on May 21 and played 22 games, mostly as a backup. However, he did not show much promise, batting just .217 with a .497 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) in 22 games. In 15 games in the Futures League this year, he hit .383 with nine RBIs, so he could be a candidate to be called up again if a spot opens up.
Kiwoom had three players demoted to the second team. Pitchers Kim Yeon-ju (20) and Lee Myeong-jong (22) and infielder Shin Jun-woo (23) were dropped from the first team roster. Kim, a third-round rookie this year, has struggled to break into the first team, posting a 9.82 ERA in nine games this season. Lee Myung-jong has a 9.82 ERA in three games this season and was added to the first-team roster on June 14, but is back to the second team without a start. Shin Jun-woo was added to the roster on June 14 and made a substitute appearance against Doosan on June 16 before dropping back to the second team.
